If Only
by Alpacca Joe
Summary: Ranma finally tells Akane how he feels. But, there was someone else who heard the news...


  


_Disclaimer: Don't sue me over Ranma ½. 'Sain't mine. But this fic is. Ya wanna use it, ya ask me first._

_What would happen if Ukyo overheard Ranma tell Akane he loved her & lost control? This is a sadfic, so if ya don't like unhappy endings, don't read this fic._

_*Notes at the end._

_A BloodRose Creation@}-;-_

  


_ If Only_

  


_It was a sunny day in Nerima, but the sun gave no warmth. It was winter, & a thick blanket of snow covered the frozen ground. Ucchan's Okonomiyaki was packed with kids seeking a warm haven & a hot meal_ _after a long day at school. Just a couple blocks away from Ucchan's, Akane Tendo & Ranma Saotome were walking home. As was usual, Ranma was trying, in vain, to explain to Akane why Shampoo had kissed Ranma outside of the Nekohaten. They had stopped at the Nekohaten after school to order some ramen for Kasumi, who had come down with a slight cold, to be delivered later. When Akane had stepped outside, Shampoo had just engaged Ranma in a short, almost sisterly kiss, then stepped to Akane, kissed her shortly on the cheek with a warm smile, & stepped back inside._

_Akane, thinking Ranma had chose Shampoo who had, in turn, renewed her 'kiss of death', turned & ran a few blocks before Ranma could catch her. Now, he was still trying to explain. For the fourth time._

_ "I told ya before, Akane! It didn't mean that! She was sayin good luck! An she didn't give ya the kiss of death! She was just sayin congratulations! That's all!"_

_Akane spun on her heel abruptly, her hazel eyes angrily meeting Ranma's concerned grey-blue. Though they didn't realize it, they had stopped in front of Ucchan's._

_ "Really. And why would she want to do that?"_

_Ranma smiled & placed his hands on Akane's shoulders, gazing deep into her eyes._

_ "Well, first, cuz Shampoo finally realized she's in love with Mousse, & they're goin back to China to face the tribe._ _But I've got a better reason."_

_Though Akane was in mild shock, she still looked unconvinced. _

_ "Really. And that would be?"_

_Ranma's smile deepened & became tender, loving._

_ "Datte, koishiteru*, Akane-chan."_

_Akane's eyes grew wide, tears filling them & threatening to spill over. Chuckling softly, he slowly lowered his lips to hers & closed his eyes. After a minute, he pulled back, to see Akane's smiling face wet with happy tears. Leaning her head on Ranma's chest, she wrapped her arms around his waist happily._

_ "Watashi mo*, Ranma-kun. Koishiteru."_ __

_They hear a shocked gasp from behind, & turn to see Ukyo, okonomiyaki in hand, standing in the doorway of Ucchan's. Across the street, Ryoga appears, souvenirs in hand. He sees Akane & smiles, but it quickly fades when he sees Ukyo's shocked face._

_ "I heard you & thought you'd be hungry, so..." She said softly. Her hands unconsciously went slack, & the plate of okonomiyaki fell to the snow. She began shaking, & tears began flowing freely down her cheeks. Ranma's brow furrowed with guilt at being so careless, & concern for his friend's pain._

_ "Ucchan..." He reached for her, but she jerked back, away from his touch. _

_ "NO! DON'T TOUCH ME! JUST DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed, grabbing her spatula from her back. Ranma took a step toward her, hands extended, but she couldn't take it anymore. He had chosen Akane. Akane, who couldn't cook, was violent as a baboon, a tomboy, & completely uncute. Ranma said so himself all the time._ _Yet he had chosen Akane, right in front of her. Akane. Not her. With all the pain, anger &, yes, insanity, inside her, Ukyo swung her spatula._

_Ranma's eyes went wide when he saw the spatula swinging toward him, as if in slow motion, but couldn't bring himself to move. He was too shocked. Ucchan was attacking him? His best friend? His eyes went slightly blank as the battle spatula (which was surprisingly sharp) connected with the side of Ranma's neck, severing a vital artery. With one word,_

_ "Uc...chan?" his eyes locked with Ukyo's, a look of hurt surprise etched on his features, one hand locked on his neck, blood pouring from under & through his fingers, down his shoulder, back, & finally to the snow. As tears formed in his eyes, he collapsed to the snow covered ground. With a shrill cry, Akane slapped Ukyo across the face strong enough to split both her lips & break some teeth before kneeling at Ranma's side. _

_ Ryoga stands horrified for a moment before racing to Ranma's side, tears coursing down his face in silent rivers. Kneeling beside him in the bloody snow, he takes his hand, sorrowful hazel eyes locked to sad blue-grey._

_ "Hey, bacon breath," he said softly with a weak smile. Before he could continue, a coughing fit overtook him. When it passed, he regained his weak smile._

_ "Sorry I always teased ya, but I didn't mean nothin by it. Truth is, you're my best bud. And I love ya, man. Do me a favor, would ya?" tears started flowing from his sad eyes. Ryoga began sobbing slightly & gripped Ranma's hand tighter, as if trying to hold onto his ebbing life._

_ "Anything, Ranma."_

_Ranma's smile almost cracked, but he regained control in time._

_ "Take care of Akane."_

_Ryoga began sobbing harshly & wrapped as many bandanas as would fit around Ranma's neck, trying, in vain, to staunch the bleeding. He knew it was already too late for Ranma, but doing nothing would be like accepting the fact. The fact that his best friend would soon be gone forever._

_ "You're not going to die, Ranma. I haven't beaten you yet. You're going to be fine." He said instead, tears blinding him as he released his hand, allowing Akane, who had been sobbing uncontrollably into her clenched fists, to take her place next to her fallen love. Squeezing her shoulder briefly, Ryoga stood & made his way to Ukyo, rage filling his eyes & joining his sorrow to envelope him in a blue aura as he ripped the battle spatula from her hands. Ukyo just stood there, blood running down her chin, face slack, a blank, vacant look in her eyes. She looked up at Ryoga as he began to speak, though, & a spark of awareness entered her eyes._

_ "Your honor as a martial artist is gone, Ukyo." He broke the spatula cleanly in half & crumpled the broken metal into a ball. With savage roughness, he thrust it into Ukyo's torso, drawing blood. She held the ball, & as she studied the blood, awareness seemed to reclaim her._

_ "Go now, Ukyo. You are stripped of your name & title. You are now Daremo*. Go into the world alone." _

_ Ukyo's brown eyes met Ryoga's hazel, & realization dawned on her. As tears began coursing down her cheeks, she turned & fled down the street, brown hair flying, & never looked back. Ryoga turned & walked back to Akane & Ranma, but stayed on his feet. He studied his blood stained cloths with detached interest, then turned his eyes back to Ranma as he stood over him. He would not miss his best friend's last words._

_ He clutched Akane's hand fiercely as he gazed into her eyes, tears streaming from his eyes, his smile painful._

_ "Sorry, Akane. Never thought I'd cause this much trouble. Heh (cough). I never meant to hurt you, you kawaiikune* tomboy. My aisuru*. This never would have happened, if only I didn't say I love you." He said softly, his cloudy eyes finally closing. His grip stayed strong for a moment, then slowly went slack. Then he was gone. Akane's eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed painfully as she leaned down to lay one last kiss on her aisuru's lips. Then she collapsed over his body & wept softly, for she no longer had the strength to scream. Ryoga knelt & placed a soft kiss on Ranma's forehead, & whispered softly._

_ "I love you, too, my friend. May you go to Valhalla* in peace." then stood, turning his back to them both. He walked a few steps away & let loose a howl of pure pain & loss, extending his hands to the sky. Tears streaming from beneath his tightly shut lids, he released a Shishi Hokoudon so powerful, it could be seen from space, then promptly collapsed to the grown, sobbing brokenly._

_ At the open door of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, a crowd of Akane's classmates bore witness to the dark day when Nerima's brightest star burned out._

_ '...If only I didn't say I love you.'_

_ The End_

  
  


_*Koishiteru: I love you_

_*Datte: because/but_

_*Watashi mo: Me, too/me, as well_

_*Daremo: noone_

_*Kawaiikune: uncute_

_*Aisuru: beloved_

_*Valhalla: Norse heaven for warriors, where they may fight for all eternity._

_Well, that's it. What'd ya think? Too sad? Too bad! This came ta me in a dream, so I decided to write it. This was my first sadfic, but I guess it can be classified as a darkfic, it's all to preference, I guess. Whatever._

_All questions, comments, whatever can be sent to __nasty311@netzero.net___

_All flames will be used to roast the marshmallows._

_See ya._

_ BloodRose@}-;- _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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